DETROIT (AP) — Ford is telling owners of more than 140,000 SUVs in the U.S. to park them outside because they can catch fire even when the engines are turned off.

The company is recalling certain Lincoln MKC SUVs from the 2015 to 2019 model years. Ford says a short-circuit can develop in the 12-volt battery monitor sensor. It can overheat and cause an engine compartment fire while parked or in motion.

Owners are urged to park away from structures until the recall repair is made. The sensors can be damaged when the battery or related electrical parts are serviced.

Ford says in documents posted Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has 19 reports of fires that may be related to the problem in the U.S., China and Canada. The company said it’s not aware of any injuries.

Dealers will add a fuse to the battery monitor sensor power circuit. Owners will be notified by letter starting June 26.

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is telling owners of more than 140,000 SUVs in the U.S. to park them outside because they can catch fire even when the engines are turned off.The company is recalling certain Lincoln MKC SUVs from the 2015 to 2019 model years. Ford says a short-circuit can develop in the 12-volt battery monitor sensor. It can overheat and cause an engine compartment fire while parked or in motion.Owners are urged to park away from structures until the recall repair is made. The sensors can be damaged when the battery or related electrical parts are serviced.Ford says in documents posted Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has 19 reports of fires that may be related to the problem in the U.S., China and Canada. The company said it’s not aware of any injuries.Dealers will add a fuse to the battery monitor sensor power circuit. Owners will be notified by letter starting June 26.

Park outside: Ford recalls 142K SUVs due to fire risk

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge did not make an immediate decision Thursday on the fate of a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

During a court hearing, attorneys representing the nine states that have sued to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program argued the updated policy is essentially the same as the 2012 memo that first created it and asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-congress-6108ffa1d6e77c65e88438cdc1d6552e">U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen</a>&nbsp;to again find the program illegal.

In 2021, Hanen declared DACA illegal, ruling that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. Hanen also said the states seeking to stop it had standing to file their lawsuit because they had been harmed by the program.

"Every aspect of this program is ... unlawful," said Ryan Walters, with the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is representing the states that filed the lawsuit. The states have also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.

The states have claimed they incur hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. The states that sued are Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi.

Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department, DACA recipients and the state of New Jersey argued during the hearing the states have failed to present any evidence that any of the costs they allege they have incurred because of illegal immigration have been tied to DACA recipients.

They also argued Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the legal authority to set immigration enforcement policies.

But the lawyers arguing for DACA, acknowledging that Hanen could again rule against them, also asked Hanen to not completely end the program if that's what he would ultimately decide to do. They instead asked Hanen to only end those parts of the program he would deem as illegal. Lawyers for the states asked that the entire program be shut down within a four-year period after a final ruling.

Texas and the other states filed their lawsuit because they disagree with immigration policy and not because of concerns over the implementation of laws, said Nina Perales, with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who spoke before Hanen on behalf of DACA recipients.

Hanen did not immediately rule after Thursday’s court hearing or give a timeframe for when he would issue a ruling.

“We will rule on this as expeditiously as we can," said Hanen, who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2002.

Before and after Thursday's hearing, more than 50 people gathered near and in front of the courthouse to show their support for DACA. Many of them held up signs that read: “Immigration Reform Now” and “Defend DACA.”

Maritza Gutierrez Ramos, 28, a DACA recipient who traveled from Dallas to attend the court hearing, said the program has given her many opportunities but she remains filled with anxiety and wants something more permanent.

“I'm trying to be optimistic and if doesn’t go our way, God will provide us with better things,” said Gutierrez Ramos, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 11 months old.

Isaias Guerrero, 38, a DACA recipient who traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the court hearing, described the claims made by Texas' lawyers about the state's costs tied to illegal immigration as “hollow arguments.”

“There was no mention of the amount of money we pay in taxes ... and the overall contribution to society,” said Guerrero, who immigrated from Colombia when he was 15 years old and grew up in Indiana.

In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-united-states-immigration-government-and-politics-b05499ef2d0d999c045079204d42be84">5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans upheld Hanen’s earlier ruling declaring DACA illegal, but sent the case back to him to review&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-united-states-george-w-bush-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-d54fc8e80d19406c6642e9c2c3d1ff10">changes made to the program by the Biden administration</a>.

The new version of DACA took effect in October and was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process.

Hanen has left the Obama-era program intact for those already benefiting from it. But he previously ruled there can be no new applicants while appeals are pending.

There were 580,310 people enrolled in DACA at the end of December, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Whatever decision Hanen makes is expected to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time.

In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients. In 2020, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-courts-immigration-4901a69e2fb198705ab4f5370b28810a">high court ruled 5-4</a>&nbsp;that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA, allowing it to stay in place.

President Joe Biden and advocacy groups have called on Congress to pass permanent protections for “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-91c885ea7c2b59dd327d0cdbe76b7cdb">Dreamers</a>,” which is what people protected by DACA are commonly called. Congress has failed multiple times to pass proposals called the DREAM Act to protect DACA recipients.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge did not make an immediate decision Thursday on the fate of a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.During a court hearing, attorneys representing the nine states that have sued to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program argued the updated policy is essentially the same as the 2012 memo that first created it and asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-congress-6108ffa1d6e77c65e88438cdc1d6552e">U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen</a>&nbsp;to again find the program illegal.In 2021, Hanen declared DACA illegal, ruling that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. Hanen also said the states seeking to stop it had standing to file their lawsuit because they had been harmed by the program."Every aspect of this program is ... unlawful," said Ryan Walters, with the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is representing the states that filed the lawsuit. The states have also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.The states have claimed they incur hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. The states that sued are Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi.Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department, DACA recipients and the state of New Jersey argued during the hearing the states have failed to present any evidence that any of the costs they allege they have incurred because of illegal immigration have been tied to DACA recipients.They also argued Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the legal authority to set immigration enforcement policies.But the lawyers arguing for DACA, acknowledging that Hanen could again rule against them, also asked Hanen to not completely end the program if that's what he would ultimately decide to do. They instead asked Hanen to only end those parts of the program he would deem as illegal. Lawyers for the states asked that the entire program be shut down within a four-year period after a final ruling.Texas and the other states filed their lawsuit because they disagree with immigration policy and not because of concerns over the implementation of laws, said Nina Perales, with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who spoke before Hanen on behalf of DACA recipients.Hanen did not immediately rule after Thursday’s court hearing or give a timeframe for when he would issue a ruling.“We will rule on this as expeditiously as we can," said Hanen, who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2002.Before and after Thursday's hearing, more than 50 people gathered near and in front of the courthouse to show their support for DACA. Many of them held up signs that read: “Immigration Reform Now” and “Defend DACA.”Maritza Gutierrez Ramos, 28, a DACA recipient who traveled from Dallas to attend the court hearing, said the program has given her many opportunities but she remains filled with anxiety and wants something more permanent.“I'm trying to be optimistic and if doesn’t go our way, God will provide us with better things,” said Gutierrez Ramos, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 11 months old.Isaias Guerrero, 38, a DACA recipient who traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the court hearing, described the claims made by Texas' lawyers about the state's costs tied to illegal immigration as “hollow arguments.”“There was no mention of the amount of money we pay in taxes ... and the overall contribution to society,” said Guerrero, who immigrated from Colombia when he was 15 years old and grew up in Indiana.In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-united-states-immigration-government-and-politics-b05499ef2d0d999c045079204d42be84">5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans upheld Hanen’s earlier ruling declaring DACA illegal, but sent the case back to him to review&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-united-states-george-w-bush-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-d54fc8e80d19406c6642e9c2c3d1ff10">changes made to the program by the Biden administration</a>.The new version of DACA took effect in October and was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process.Hanen has left the Obama-era program intact for those already benefiting from it. But he previously ruled there can be no new applicants while appeals are pending.There were 580,310 people enrolled in DACA at the end of December, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.Whatever decision Hanen makes is expected to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time.In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients. In 2020, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-courts-immigration-4901a69e2fb198705ab4f5370b28810a">high court ruled 5-4</a>&nbsp;that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA, allowing it to stay in place.President Joe Biden and advocacy groups have called on Congress to pass permanent protections for “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-91c885ea7c2b59dd327d0cdbe76b7cdb">Dreamers</a>,” which is what people protected by DACA are commonly called. Congress has failed multiple times to pass proposals called the DREAM Act to protect DACA recipients.

Nebraska lawsuit: Judge to decide fate of revised DACA program

Tumultuous 90-day session ends two days early

By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — State senators ended a tumultuous 2023 session Thursday, giving a final OK to bills concerning voter identification, tax breaks for economic development and criminal justice reform.

The 90-day session ended two days early and will be remembered for historic tax cuts, hard feelings aired during floor debate, and an almost session-long string of filibusters mounted in protest of a bill that banned gender-affirming procedures for minors.

State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, a key player in the legislation that delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/25/lawmakers-pass-nebraska-income-tax-cuts-property-tax-offsets-child-tax-credits/#:~:text=For%20tax%20year%202023%2C%20Nebraska,%2C%20to%203.99%25%20by%202027.">income tax cuts and property tax relief,</a>&nbsp;summed it up best: It was a “momentous session” for what got done and for how hard it was to get those things done.

The time-sucking filibusters, led by Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Megan Hunt, forced legislators to get creative to get bills passed.

Instead of several individual bills being advanced for debate, “Christmas tree” bills, containing up to 30 pieces of legislation, became the norm.

In the end, only 56 bills were passed, but those measures contained 291 separate bills. That compares favorably with the most recent 90-day sessions, in which 281 bills were passed in 2021 and 322 were passed in 2019.

The perception that state lawmakers weren’t getting anything done because of the filibusters was incorrect,&nbsp;said the Speaker of the Legislature, Sen. John Arch of La Vista.

&nbsp;“We have done the work we were sent to do despite all&nbsp;the challenges before us,” Arch said.

Cavanaugh, who helped set a new record for filibusters, said it was a disappointing session in which income tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthiest Nebraskans and out-of-state corporations were passed, but little for average Nebraskans.

“We had record revenue and we did next to nothing to ease the economic struggles of everyday Nebraskans,” she said.

COVID-19 era food stamp and child care credits were extended, but not increased, Cavanaugh said, despite increased need at a time of record inflation.

Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell struck a note of optimism, saying that toward the end of the 2023 session, floor debates became more substantive, instead of readings of recipes and news stories during the lengthy filibusters.

“By the end of the session, people were trying to work together,” he said. “I think that may carry over to the 60-day session (next year).”

Gov. Jim Pillen, in his first legislative session, labeled as “historic” and “transformational” the income tax and property tax bills passed this year.

“This is one of the most impactful sessions in Nebraska history,” Pillen said in a speech at the end of the session.

Said Pillen,&nbsp;“In the face of extraordinary challenges, the will of the people of Nebraska has prevailed and our state has implemented once-in-a-generation conservative policies.”

He said lawmakers passed a fiscally conservative budget that raised spending by 2%, provided low-income students a chance to attend a private school via the “Opportunity Scholarships Act” and boosted spending on K-12 education. Also passed was a stricter, 12-week (gestational) ban on abortion, as well as the ban on certain gender-affirming procedures for minors.

Legislative Bill 754, sponsored by Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, will drop the state’s top two income tax brackets, and the corporate income tax rate, to 3.99% by tax year 2027.

The bill also provides a total exemption on Social Security benefits a year early, in 2024, and provides&nbsp;tax credits related to child care.

A companion measure, LB 243, increases state property tax relief credits and removes community colleges from the property tax rolls.

All together, the two measures, along with the impact of increased state aid to K-12 schools, are expected to provide $6.4 billion in tax relief over the next six years.

“(This)&nbsp;tax package puts Nebraska back on track to become competitive nationally,” Pillen said at a press conference Wednesday.

Among the measures gaining final-round approval on Thursday were:

LB 514, which implements voter ID in Nebraska, following voter approval of a state constitutional amendment in 2022 requiring voters to show a photo ID.

The bill overcame a one-woman filibuster by Dunbar Sen. Julie Slama, who was pushing for a “more conservative vision” of voter ID.

Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer, who chairs the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, said the panel picked the “narrower, more focused” approach on voter ID when no compromise could be found between Slama and Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen.

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/questions-from-attorney-generals-office-could-force-amendment-to-nebraska-voter-id-bill/">LB 514 requires voters</a>&nbsp;to show ID when voting in person. It makes exceptions for religious objectors to being photographed and people with disabilities.

LB 727,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/23/omnibus-tax-credit-bill-advances-after-81-million-in-incentives-were-pared-back/">an omnibus tax credit bill</a>&nbsp;that offers breaks for everything from biodiesel to waste incinerators to expansion of the Nebraska Crossing shopping mall. The measure also would allow bond financing of state freeway projects and would end a controversial “home equity theft” procedure.

Linehan, the main sponsor, has said the tax break to Nebraska Crossing could help it transform into a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/24/omnibus-bill-aims-to-help-make-nebraska-crossing-a-mecca-for-retail-tourism/">regional destination</a>&nbsp;for shoppers and youth sports tournaments like the “Legends” development in Kansas City.

The bill also expands the state’s turnback tax to benefit an expansion of the CHI Health Center in Omaha, a new convention center in Lincoln and concert halls in downtown Omaha and LaVista.

LB 50, a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/24/law-and-order-debate-features-rare-disagreement-between-governors-office-and-county-prosecutors/">package of criminal justice reforms</a>&nbsp;fashioned by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne out of recommendations made a year ago by the Crime and Justice Institute, a think tank that has helped several states reduce spending.

The bill, the topic of several negotiations with county prosecutors, the Attorney General’s Office and the Pillen administration, is aimed at reducing the number of inmates who “jam out” of prison without undergoing some rehabilitation programming.

Wayne, who chairs the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, said his main goal was ensuring public safety while trying to reduce the need for Nebraska to build two new prisons.

He said the bill should make the state’s criminal justice system more “efficient and effective.”

One aspect of the bill, promoted by Brewer, would provide Kevlar protective vests for state correctional officers.

The need for such protective gear came into stark focus Wednesday after five prison guards were stabbed during an altercation with inmates armed with homemade weapons at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln.

The union that represents state corrections officers have long sought the stab-resistant vests.

&nbsp;Nebraska Examiner reporter Aaron Sanderford contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685717816060.png" alt=" State senators work on the final day of the 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State senators work on the final day of the 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Tumultuous 90-day session ends two days early</h2>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — State senators ended a tumultuous 2023 session Thursday, giving a final OK to bills concerning voter identification, tax breaks for economic development and criminal justice reform.The 90-day session ended two days early and will be remembered for historic tax cuts, hard feelings aired during floor debate, and an almost session-long string of filibusters mounted in protest of a bill that banned gender-affirming procedures for minors.State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, a key player in the legislation that delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/25/lawmakers-pass-nebraska-income-tax-cuts-property-tax-offsets-child-tax-credits/#:~:text=For%20tax%20year%202023%2C%20Nebraska,%2C%20to%203.99%25%20by%202027.">income tax cuts and property tax relief,</a>&nbsp;summed it up best: It was a “momentous session” for what got done and for how hard it was to get those things done.The time-sucking filibusters, led by Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Megan Hunt, forced legislators to get creative to get bills passed.Instead of several individual bills being advanced for debate, “Christmas tree” bills, containing up to 30 pieces of legislation, became the norm.In the end, only 56 bills were passed, but those measures contained 291 separate bills. That compares favorably with the most recent 90-day sessions, in which 281 bills were passed in 2021 and 322 were passed in 2019.The perception that state lawmakers weren’t getting anything done because of the filibusters was incorrect,&nbsp;said the Speaker of the Legislature, Sen. John Arch of La Vista.&nbsp;“We have done the work we were sent to do despite all&nbsp;the challenges before us,” Arch said.Cavanaugh, who helped set a new record for filibusters, said it was a disappointing session in which income tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthiest Nebraskans and out-of-state corporations were passed, but little for average Nebraskans.“We had record revenue and we did next to nothing to ease the economic struggles of everyday Nebraskans,” she said.COVID-19 era food stamp and child care credits were extended, but not increased, Cavanaugh said, despite increased need at a time of record inflation.Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell struck a note of optimism, saying that toward the end of the 2023 session, floor debates became more substantive, instead of readings of recipes and news stories during the lengthy filibusters.“By the end of the session, people were trying to work together,” he said. “I think that may carry over to the 60-day session (next year).”Gov. Jim Pillen, in his first legislative session, labeled as “historic” and “transformational” the income tax and property tax bills passed this year.“This is one of the most impactful sessions in Nebraska history,” Pillen said in a speech at the end of the session.Said Pillen,&nbsp;“In the face of extraordinary challenges, the will of the people of Nebraska has prevailed and our state has implemented once-in-a-generation conservative policies.”He said lawmakers passed a fiscally conservative budget that raised spending by 2%, provided low-income students a chance to attend a private school via the “Opportunity Scholarships Act” and boosted spending on K-12 education. Also passed was a stricter, 12-week (gestational) ban on abortion, as well as the ban on certain gender-affirming procedures for minors.Legislative Bill 754, sponsored by Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, will drop the state’s top two income tax brackets, and the corporate income tax rate, to 3.99% by tax year 2027.The bill also provides a total exemption on Social Security benefits a year early, in 2024, and provides&nbsp;tax credits related to child care.A companion measure, LB 243, increases state property tax relief credits and removes community colleges from the property tax rolls.All together, the two measures, along with the impact of increased state aid to K-12 schools, are expected to provide $6.4 billion in tax relief over the next six years.“(This)&nbsp;tax package puts Nebraska back on track to become competitive nationally,” Pillen said at a press conference Wednesday.Among the measures gaining final-round approval on Thursday were:LB 514, which implements voter ID in Nebraska, following voter approval of a state constitutional amendment in 2022 requiring voters to show a photo ID.The bill overcame a one-woman filibuster by Dunbar Sen. Julie Slama, who was pushing for a “more conservative vision” of voter ID.Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer, who chairs the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, said the panel picked the “narrower, more focused” approach on voter ID when no compromise could be found between Slama and Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/questions-from-attorney-generals-office-could-force-amendment-to-nebraska-voter-id-bill/">LB 514 requires voters</a>&nbsp;to show ID when voting in person. It makes exceptions for religious objectors to being photographed and people with disabilities.LB 727,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/23/omnibus-tax-credit-bill-advances-after-81-million-in-incentives-were-pared-back/">an omnibus tax credit bill</a>&nbsp;that offers breaks for everything from biodiesel to waste incinerators to expansion of the Nebraska Crossing shopping mall. The measure also would allow bond financing of state freeway projects and would end a controversial “home equity theft” procedure.Linehan, the main sponsor, has said the tax break to Nebraska Crossing could help it transform into a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/24/omnibus-bill-aims-to-help-make-nebraska-crossing-a-mecca-for-retail-tourism/">regional destination</a>&nbsp;for shoppers and youth sports tournaments like the “Legends” development in Kansas City.The bill also expands the state’s turnback tax to benefit an expansion of the CHI Health Center in Omaha, a new convention center in Lincoln and concert halls in downtown Omaha and LaVista.LB 50, a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/24/law-and-order-debate-features-rare-disagreement-between-governors-office-and-county-prosecutors/">package of criminal justice reforms</a>&nbsp;fashioned by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne out of recommendations made a year ago by the Crime and Justice Institute, a think tank that has helped several states reduce spending.The bill, the topic of several negotiations with county prosecutors, the Attorney General’s Office and the Pillen administration, is aimed at reducing the number of inmates who “jam out” of prison without undergoing some rehabilitation programming.Wayne, who chairs the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, said his main goal was ensuring public safety while trying to reduce the need for Nebraska to build two new prisons.He said the bill should make the state’s criminal justice system more “efficient and effective.”One aspect of the bill, promoted by Brewer, would provide Kevlar protective vests for state correctional officers.The need for such protective gear came into stark focus Wednesday after five prison guards were stabbed during an altercation with inmates armed with homemade weapons at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln.The union that represents state corrections officers have long sought the stab-resistant vests.&nbsp;Nebraska Examiner reporter Aaron Sanderford contributed to this report.

Nebraska legislators give final OK for voter ID, tax break bills

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon agreed Wednesday to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations it violated a child privacy law and deceived parents by keeping for years kids' voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant.

Separately, the company agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds for alleged privacy violations involving its doorbell camera Ring.

<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/05/ftc-doj-charge-amazon-violating-childrens-privacy-law-keeping-kids-alexa-voice-recordings-forever">The Alexa-related action</a>&nbsp;orders Amazon to overhaul its data deletion practices and impose stricter, more transparent privacy measures. It also obliges the tech giant to delete certain data collected by its internet-connected digital assistant, which people use for everything from checking the weather to playing games and queueing up music.

“Amazon’s history of misleading parents, keeping children’s recordings indefinitely, and flouting parents’ deletion requests violated COPPA (the Child Online Privacy Protection Act) and sacrificed privacy for profits,” Samuel Levine, the FCT consumer protection chief, said in a statement. The 1998 law is designed to shield children from online harms.

FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said in a statement that “when parents asked Amazon to delete their kids’ Alexa voice data, the company did not delete all of it.”

The agency ordered the company to delete inactive child accounts as well as certain voice and geolocation data.

Amazon kept the kids' data to refine its voice recognition algorithm, the artificial intelligence behind Alexa, which powers Echo and other smart speakers, Bedoya said. The FTC complaint sends a message to all tech companies who are “sprinting to do the same” amid fierce competition in developing AI datasets, he added.

“Nothing is more visceral to a parent than the sound of their child’s voice,” tweeted Bedoya, the father of two small children.

Amazon said last month that it has sold more than a&nbsp;<a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/2023/5/amazon-introduces-four-all-new-echo-devices-sales-of-alexa-enabled-devices-surpass-half-a-billion">half-billion Alexa-enabled devices globally</a>&nbsp;and that use of the service increased 35% last year.

In the Ring case, the FTC says Amazon's home security camera subsidiary let employees and contractors access consumers' private videos and providing lax security practices that enabled hackers to take control of some accounts.

Amazon bought California-based Ring in 2018, and many of the violations alleged by the FTC predate the acquisition. Under the FTC's order, Ring is required to pay $5.8 million that would be used for consumer refunds.

Amazon said it disagreed with the FTC’s claims on both Alexa and Ring and denied violating the law. But it said the settlements “put these matters behind us.”

“Our devices and services are built to protect customers’ privacy, and to provide customers with control over their experience,” the Seattle-based company said.

In addition to the fine in the Alexa case, the proposed order prohibits Amazon from using deleted geolocation and voice information to create or improve any data product. The order also requires Amazon to create a privacy program for its use of geolocation information.

The proposed orders must be approved by federal judges.

FTC commissioners had unanimously voted to file the charges against Amazon in both cases.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon will pay more than $30 million to settle alleged privacy violations involving its voice assistant Alexa and its doorbell camera Ring.

The Federal Trade Commission voted to file charges in two separate cases Wednesday that could also force the company to delete certain data collected by its popular internet-connected devices.

In the Alexa case, the FTC said Amazon had deceived users of the voice assistance service for years. It retained children’s recordings indefinitely unless a parent requested the information be deleted, the agency said, and even when it deleted those recordings, Amazon often kept the transcripts.

The FTC ordered the company to delete inactive child accounts as well as certain voice information and geolocation data.

In imposing a $25 million fine, the agency said Amazon had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and FTC Consumer Protection Chief Samuel Levine accused the tech giant of sacrificing “privacy for profits” in “flouting parents’ deletion requests.”

FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said Amazon kept kids' data indefinitely to refine its voice recognition algorithm. In a separate statement, he said the Alexa ruling sends a message to all tech companies who are “sprinting to do the same” amid fierce competition in developing AI datasets.

In the Ring case, the FTC accuses Amazon's home security camera subsidiary of allowing its employees and contractors to access the private videos of consumers and providing lax security practices that enabled hackers to take control of some accounts.

Amazon bought California-based Ring in 2018, and many of the violations cited by the FTC predate the acquisition. The FTC's order would require Ring to pay $5.8 million that would be used for consumer refunds.

Amazon said it disagreed with the FTC’s claims about the two devices and denied violating the law. But it said the settlements “put these matters behind us.”

FTC commissioners unanimously voted to file the charges against Amazon in both cases. In addition to the fine in the Alexa case, the proposed order prohibits Amazon from using deleted geolocation and voice information to create or improve any data product. The order also requires Amazon to create a privacy program for its use of geolocation information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672512292412.png" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon agreed Wednesday to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations it violated a child privacy law and deceived parents by keeping for years kids' voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant.Separately, the company agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds for alleged privacy violations involving its doorbell camera Ring.<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/05/ftc-doj-charge-amazon-violating-childrens-privacy-law-keeping-kids-alexa-voice-recordings-forever">The Alexa-related action</a>&nbsp;orders Amazon to overhaul its data deletion practices and impose stricter, more transparent privacy measures. It also obliges the tech giant to delete certain data collected by its internet-connected digital assistant, which people use for everything from checking the weather to playing games and queueing up music.“Amazon’s history of misleading parents, keeping children’s recordings indefinitely, and flouting parents’ deletion requests violated COPPA (the Child Online Privacy Protection Act) and sacrificed privacy for profits,” Samuel Levine, the FCT consumer protection chief, said in a statement. The 1998 law is designed to shield children from online harms.FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said in a statement that “when parents asked Amazon to delete their kids’ Alexa voice data, the company did not delete all of it.”The agency ordered the company to delete inactive child accounts as well as certain voice and geolocation data.Amazon kept the kids' data to refine its voice recognition algorithm, the artificial intelligence behind Alexa, which powers Echo and other smart speakers, Bedoya said. The FTC complaint sends a message to all tech companies who are “sprinting to do the same” amid fierce competition in developing AI datasets, he added.“Nothing is more visceral to a parent than the sound of their child’s voice,” tweeted Bedoya, the father of two small children.Amazon said last month that it has sold more than a&nbsp;<a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/2023/5/amazon-introduces-four-all-new-echo-devices-sales-of-alexa-enabled-devices-surpass-half-a-billion">half-billion Alexa-enabled devices globally</a>&nbsp;and that use of the service increased 35% last year.In the Ring case, the FTC says Amazon's home security camera subsidiary let employees and contractors access consumers' private videos and providing lax security practices that enabled hackers to take control of some accounts.Amazon bought California-based Ring in 2018, and many of the violations alleged by the FTC predate the acquisition. Under the FTC's order, Ring is required to pay $5.8 million that would be used for consumer refunds.Amazon said it disagreed with the FTC’s claims on both Alexa and Ring and denied violating the law. But it said the settlements “put these matters behind us.”“Our devices and services are built to protect customers’ privacy, and to provide customers with control over their experience,” the Seattle-based company said.In addition to the fine in the Alexa case, the proposed order prohibits Amazon from using deleted geolocation and voice information to create or improve any data product. The order also requires Amazon to create a privacy program for its use of geolocation information.The proposed orders must be approved by federal judges.FTC commissioners had unanimously voted to file the charges against Amazon in both cases.-------------WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon will pay more than $30 million to settle alleged privacy violations involving its voice assistant Alexa and its doorbell camera Ring.The Federal Trade Commission voted to file charges in two separate cases Wednesday that could also force the company to delete certain data collected by its popular internet-connected devices.In the Alexa case, the FTC said Amazon had deceived users of the voice assistance service for years. It retained children’s recordings indefinitely unless a parent requested the information be deleted, the agency said, and even when it deleted those recordings, Amazon often kept the transcripts.The FTC ordered the company to delete inactive child accounts as well as certain voice information and geolocation data.In imposing a $25 million fine, the agency said Amazon had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and FTC Consumer Protection Chief Samuel Levine accused the tech giant of sacrificing “privacy for profits” in “flouting parents’ deletion requests.”FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said Amazon kept kids' data indefinitely to refine its voice recognition algorithm. In a separate statement, he said the Alexa ruling sends a message to all tech companies who are “sprinting to do the same” amid fierce competition in developing AI datasets.“Nothing is more visceral to a parent than the sound of their child’s voice,” tweeted Bedoya, the father of two small children.In the Ring case, the FTC accuses Amazon's home security camera subsidiary of allowing its employees and contractors to access the private videos of consumers and providing lax security practices that enabled hackers to take control of some accounts.Amazon bought California-based Ring in 2018, and many of the violations cited by the FTC predate the acquisition. The FTC's order would require Ring to pay $5.8 million that would be used for consumer refunds.Amazon said it disagreed with the FTC’s claims about the two devices and denied violating the law. But it said the settlements “put these matters behind us.”“Our devices and services are built to protect customers’ privacy, and to provide customers with control over their experience,” the Seattle-based company said.The proposed orders must be approved by federal judges.FTC commissioners unanimously voted to file the charges against Amazon in both cases. In addition to the fine in the Alexa case, the proposed order prohibits Amazon from using deleted geolocation and voice information to create or improve any data product. The order also requires Amazon to create a privacy program for its use of geolocation information.

Amazon to pay $31m in privacy violation penalties for Alexa, Ring camera

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate gave final approval late Thursday to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">debt ceiling and budget cuts package</a>, grinding into the night to wrap up work on the bipartisan deal and send it to President Joe Biden's desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline.

The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome. But the result, after weeks of hard-fought budget negotiations, shelves the volatile debt ceiling issue that risked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-congress-world-economy-recession-biden-52df635e9b89f4b1677176fc8d59eff0">upending the U.S. and global economy</a>&nbsp;until 2025 after the next presidential election.

Approval in the Senate on a bipartisan vote, 63-36, somewhat reflected the overwhelming House tally the day before, relying on centrists in both parties to pull the Biden-McCarthy package to passage — though Democrats led the tally in both chambers. Both Nebraska Senators voted against the measure along with Kansas Senator Roger Marshall. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voted for the measure.&nbsp;

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of voting that the bill's passage means “America can breathe a sigh of relief.”

Afterward he said, “We’ve saved the country from the scourge of default.”

Biden said in a statement following passage that senators from both parties “demonstrated once more that America is a nation that pays its bills and meets its obligations — and always will be.”

He said he would sign the bill into law as soon as possible. “No one gets everything they want in a negotiation, but make no mistake: this bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,” the president said. The White House said he would address the nation about the matter at 7 p.m. EDT Friday.

Fast action was vital if Washington hoped to meet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-xdate-yellen-default-biden-treasury-b1f2acb09b9a2fdfbf4b5505279d70ae">next Monday's deadline</a>, when Treasury has said the U.S. will start running short of cash to pay its bills, risking a devastating default. Raising the nation’s debt limit, now $31.4 trillion, would ensure Treasury could borrow to pay already incurred U.S. debts.

In the end, the debt ceiling showdown was a familiar high-stakes battle in Congress, a fight taken on by McCarthy and powered by a hard-right House Republican majority confronting the Democratic president with a new era of divided government in Washington.

Refusing a once routine vote to allow a the nation's debt limit to be lifted without concessions, McCarthy brought Biden's White House to the negotiating table to strike an agreement that forces spending cutbacks aimed at curbing the nation's deficits.

Overall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the 99-page bill</a>&nbsp;restricts spending for the next two years, suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 and changes some policies, including imposing new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-permitting-climate-energy-pipeline-b9cc880fbce3ad4f140d6ab71ac9ef0f">greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas line</a>&nbsp;that many Democrats oppose.

It bolsters funds for defense and veterans, cuts back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-debt-ceiling-budget-x-date-yellen-fe538fd8371cdf647400a27e6d56a9fb">new money for Internal Revenue Service agents</a>&nbsp;and rejects Biden’s call to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy to help cover the nation’s deficits. It imposes automatic 1% cuts if Congress fails approve its annual spending bills.

After the House overwhelmingly approved the package late Wednesday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell signaled he too wanted to waste no time ensuring it became law.

Touting its budget cuts, McConnell said Thursday, “The Senate has a chance to make that important progress a reality.”

Having remained largely on the sidelines during much of the Biden-McCarthy negotiations, several senators insisted on debate over their ideas to reshape the package. But making any changes at this stage would almost certainly derail the compromise and none were approved.

Instead, senators dragged through rounds of voting late into the night rejecting the various amendments, but making their preferences clear. Conservative Republican senators wanted to include further cut spending, while Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia sought to remove the Mountain Valley Pipeline approval.

The energy pipeline is important to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and he defended the development running through his state, saying the country cannot run without the power of gas, coal, wind and all available energy sources.

But, offering an amendment to strip the pipeline from the package, Kaine argued it would not be fair for Congress to step into a controversial project that he said would also course through his state and scoop up lands in Appalachia that have been in families for generations.

Defense hawks led by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina complained strongly that military spending, though boosted in the deal, was not enough to keep pace with inflation — particularly as they eye supplemental spending that will be needed this summer to support Ukraine against the war waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Putin’s invasion is a defining moment of the 21st century,” Graham argued from the Senate floor. “What the House did is wrong.”

They secured an agreement from Schumer, which he read on the floor, stating that the debt ceiling deal “does nothing” to limit the Senate's ability to approve other emergency supplemental funds for national security, including for Ukraine, or for disaster relief and other issues of national importance.

All told, most of the Democratic senators voted for the package, while most of the Republicans opposed it. The tally was 46 Democrats and 17 Republicans in favor; 31 Republicans along with four Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed.

For weeks negotiators labored late into the night to strike the deal with the White House, and for days McCarthy had worked to build support among skeptics.

Tensions had run high in the House the night before as hard-right Republicans refused the deal. Ominously, the conservatives warned of possibly trying to oust McCarthy over the issue.

But Biden and McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition, with Democrats ensuring passage on a robust 314-117 vote. All told, 71 House Republicans broke with McCarthy to reject the deal.

“We did pretty dang good,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said afterward.

As for discontent from Republicans who said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">spending restrictions did not go far enough</a>, McCarthy said it was only a “first step."

The White House immediately turned its attention to the Senate, its top staff phoning individual senators.

Democrats also had complaints, decrying the new work requirements for older Americans, those 50-54, in the food aid program, the changes to the landmark National Environmental Policy Act and approval of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline natural gas project they argue is unhelpful in fighting climate change.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.

In a surprise that complicated Republicans' support, however, the CBO said their drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;would end up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempts veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate gave final approval late Thursday to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">debt ceiling and budget cuts package</a>, grinding into the night to wrap up work on the bipartisan deal and send it to President Joe Biden's desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline.The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome. But the result, after weeks of hard-fought budget negotiations, shelves the volatile debt ceiling issue that risked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-congress-world-economy-recession-biden-52df635e9b89f4b1677176fc8d59eff0">upending the U.S. and global economy</a>&nbsp;until 2025 after the next presidential election.Approval in the Senate on a bipartisan vote, 63-36, somewhat reflected the overwhelming House tally the day before, relying on centrists in both parties to pull the Biden-McCarthy package to passage — though Democrats led the tally in both chambers. Both Nebraska Senators voted against the measure along with Kansas Senator Roger Marshall. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voted for the measure.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the debt ceiling deal: <a href="https://t.co/AN07wwwSbz">pic.twitter.com/AN07wwwSbz</a>&mdash; Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorFischer/status/1664467607892762625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of voting that the bill's passage means “America can breathe a sigh of relief.”Afterward he said, “We’ve saved the country from the scourge of default.”Biden said in a statement following passage that senators from both parties “demonstrated once more that America is a nation that pays its bills and meets its obligations — and always will be.”He said he would sign the bill into law as soon as possible. “No one gets everything they want in a negotiation, but make no mistake: this bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,” the president said. The White House said he would address the nation about the matter at 7 p.m. EDT Friday.Fast action was vital if Washington hoped to meet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-xdate-yellen-default-biden-treasury-b1f2acb09b9a2fdfbf4b5505279d70ae">next Monday's deadline</a>, when Treasury has said the U.S. will start running short of cash to pay its bills, risking a devastating default. Raising the nation’s debt limit, now $31.4 trillion, would ensure Treasury could borrow to pay already incurred U.S. debts.In the end, the debt ceiling showdown was a familiar high-stakes battle in Congress, a fight taken on by McCarthy and powered by a hard-right House Republican majority confronting the Democratic president with a new era of divided government in Washington.Refusing a once routine vote to allow a the nation's debt limit to be lifted without concessions, McCarthy brought Biden's White House to the negotiating table to strike an agreement that forces spending cutbacks aimed at curbing the nation's deficits.Overall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the 99-page bill</a>&nbsp;restricts spending for the next two years, suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 and changes some policies, including imposing new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-permitting-climate-energy-pipeline-b9cc880fbce3ad4f140d6ab71ac9ef0f">greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas line</a>&nbsp;that many Democrats oppose.It bolsters funds for defense and veterans, cuts back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-debt-ceiling-budget-x-date-yellen-fe538fd8371cdf647400a27e6d56a9fb">new money for Internal Revenue Service agents</a>&nbsp;and rejects Biden’s call to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy to help cover the nation’s deficits. It imposes automatic 1% cuts if Congress fails approve its annual spending bills.After the House overwhelmingly approved the package late Wednesday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell signaled he too wanted to waste no time ensuring it became law.Touting its budget cuts, McConnell said Thursday, “The Senate has a chance to make that important progress a reality.”Having remained largely on the sidelines during much of the Biden-McCarthy negotiations, several senators insisted on debate over their ideas to reshape the package. But making any changes at this stage would almost certainly derail the compromise and none were approved.Instead, senators dragged through rounds of voting late into the night rejecting the various amendments, but making their preferences clear. Conservative Republican senators wanted to include further cut spending, while Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia sought to remove the Mountain Valley Pipeline approval.The energy pipeline is important to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and he defended the development running through his state, saying the country cannot run without the power of gas, coal, wind and all available energy sources.But, offering an amendment to strip the pipeline from the package, Kaine argued it would not be fair for Congress to step into a controversial project that he said would also course through his state and scoop up lands in Appalachia that have been in families for generations.Defense hawks led by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina complained strongly that military spending, though boosted in the deal, was not enough to keep pace with inflation — particularly as they eye supplemental spending that will be needed this summer to support Ukraine against the war waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin.“Putin’s invasion is a defining moment of the 21st century,” Graham argued from the Senate floor. “What the House did is wrong.”They secured an agreement from Schumer, which he read on the floor, stating that the debt ceiling deal “does nothing” to limit the Senate's ability to approve other emergency supplemental funds for national security, including for Ukraine, or for disaster relief and other issues of national importance.All told, most of the Democratic senators voted for the package, while most of the Republicans opposed it. The tally was 46 Democrats and 17 Republicans in favor; 31 Republicans along with four Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed.For weeks negotiators labored late into the night to strike the deal with the White House, and for days McCarthy had worked to build support among skeptics.Tensions had run high in the House the night before as hard-right Republicans refused the deal. Ominously, the conservatives warned of possibly trying to oust McCarthy over the issue.But Biden and McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition, with Democrats ensuring passage on a robust 314-117 vote. All told, 71 House Republicans broke with McCarthy to reject the deal.“We did pretty dang good,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said afterward.As for discontent from Republicans who said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">spending restrictions did not go far enough</a>, McCarthy said it was only a “first step."The White House immediately turned its attention to the Senate, its top staff phoning individual senators.Democrats also had complaints, decrying the new work requirements for older Americans, those 50-54, in the food aid program, the changes to the landmark National Environmental Policy Act and approval of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline natural gas project they argue is unhelpful in fighting climate change.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.In a surprise that complicated Republicans' support, however, the CBO said their drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;would end up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempts veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.

Nebraska Senators vote no: Senate OKs debt ceiling deal sending it to Biden

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“Despondent is the right word,” Dev said. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to keep continuing.”

Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.

Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, first competed at the national bee in 2019, then had his spelling career interrupted. The 2020 bee was canceled because of COVID-19, and in the mostly virtual 2021 bee, he didn't make it to the in-person finals, held in his home state on ESPN's campus at Walt Disney World.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-education-florida-bba74646085b03374744d4b411751824">Then came the disaster of last year,</a>&nbsp;when he was forced to compete in the Orlando region because his previous regional sponsor didn't come back after the pandemic.

“It took me four months to get him back on track because he was quite a bit disturbed and he didn't want to do it,” said Dev's mother, Nilam Shah.

When he decided to try again, he added an exercise routine to help sharpen his focus and lost about 15 pounds, she said.

Dev got through his region.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-semifinals-2023-d817523048011d6fde8c43cc9f75d6c0">He flexed his knowledge</a>&nbsp;in Wednesday's early rounds by asking questions that proved he knew every relevant detail the bee's pronouncers and judges had on their computer screens. And when it was all over, he held the trophy over his head as confetti fell.

“He appreciated that this is a journey, which sounds very trite but is really quite true,” said Dev's coach, Scott Remer, a former speller and study guide author. “I think the thing that distinguishes the very best spellers from the ones that end up not really leaving their mark is actually just grit.”

Dev's winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.

“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”

Dev soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.

“I would say I was confident on the outside but inside I was nervous, especially for my winning word — well, like, before. Not during,” he said.

Runner-up Charlotte Walsh gave Dev a congratulatory hug.

“I'm so happy for him,” said Charlotte, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia. “I've known Dev for many years and I know how much work he's put into this and I'm so, so glad he won.”

The winner’s haul is more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. When Charlotte returned to the stage later to congratulate Dev again, he reminded her that the runner-up gets $25,000.

“Twenty-five thousand! What? I didn't know that,” Charlotte said.

Earlier, when the bee was down to Dev and Charlotte, Scripps brought out the buzzer used for its “spell-off” tiebreaker, and Dev was momentarily confused when he stepped to the microphone.

“This is not the spell-off, right?” Dev asked. Told it was not, he spelled "bathypitotmeter" so quickly that it might as well have been.

“I practiced for the spell-off every day, I guess. I knew it might happen and I prepared for everything, so I kind of went into spell-off mode,” he said. “But I also was scared for the spell-off.”

Dev is the 22nd champion in the past 24 years with South Asian heritage. His father, Deval, a software engineer, immigrated to the United States from India 29 years ago to get his master's degree in electrical engineering. Dev's older brother, Neil, is a rising junior at Yale.

Deval said his son showed an incredible recall with words starting at age 3, and Dev spent many years in participating in academic competitions staged by the North South Foundation, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to children in India.

The bee began in 1925 and is open to students through the eighth grade. There were 229 kids onstage as it began — and each was a champion many times over, considering that 11 million participated at the school level.

The finalists demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge as they worked their way through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-word-list-6b67fd86e9008d3f61cc7f256dbad480">a sometimes diabolical word list</a>&nbsp;chosen by Scripps' 21-person word panel, which includes five past champions.

This year's bee proved that the competition can remain entertaining while delving more deeply into the dictionary — especially early in the finals, when Scripps peppered contestants with short but tough words like “traik” (to fall ill, used in Scotland), “carey” (a small to medium-size sea turtle) and “katuka” (a venomous snake of southeastern Asia).

“There are a lot of hard words in the dictionary,” Dev said. “There are realms of the dictionary that the word panelists need to dive into and I think they did a great job of that today.”

With the field down to four, Shradha Rachamreddy was eliminated on “orle,” a heraldry term that means a number of small charges arranged to form a border within the edge of a field (she went with “orel”). And “kelep” — a Central American stinging ant — ousted Surya Kapu (he said “quelep”).

While sometimes Scripps’ use of trademarks and geographical names can anger spelling traditionalists who want to see kids demonstrate their mastery of roots and language patterns — and even the exceptions to those patterns — Scripps has made clear that with the exception of words designated as archaic or obsolete, any entry in Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged dictionary is fair game.

Dev is happy to be closing that book for now.

“My main priority is sleep. I need to sleep. There have been a lot of sleepless nights these last six months,” he said. “I need to sleep well tonight, too. There's a lot more sleep debt.”

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.“Despondent is the right word,” Dev said. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to keep continuing.”Look at him now.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">That trophy hoist by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Speller36?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Speller36</a> Dev Shah though... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spellingbee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#spellingbee</a> <a href="https://t.co/6SYrY9MC0a">pic.twitter.com/6SYrY9MC0a</a>&mdash; Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScrippsBee/status/1664461787511640065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UnBEElievable! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Speller36?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Speller36</a> Dev Shah representing the SNSB Region One Bee in Largo, Florida is the Champion of the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee. His winning word? Psammophile. 🐝 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spellingbee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#spellingbee</a> <a href="https://t.co/ebM8jUU6xZ">pic.twitter.com/ebM8jUU6xZ</a>&mdash; Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScrippsBee/status/1664454698256986113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, first competed at the national bee in 2019, then had his spelling career interrupted. The 2020 bee was canceled because of COVID-19, and in the mostly virtual 2021 bee, he didn't make it to the in-person finals, held in his home state on ESPN's campus at Walt Disney World.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-education-florida-bba74646085b03374744d4b411751824">Then came the disaster of last year,</a>&nbsp;when he was forced to compete in the Orlando region because his previous regional sponsor didn't come back after the pandemic.“It took me four months to get him back on track because he was quite a bit disturbed and he didn't want to do it,” said Dev's mother, Nilam Shah.When he decided to try again, he added an exercise routine to help sharpen his focus and lost about 15 pounds, she said.Dev got through his region.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-semifinals-2023-d817523048011d6fde8c43cc9f75d6c0">He flexed his knowledge</a>&nbsp;in Wednesday's early rounds by asking questions that proved he knew every relevant detail the bee's pronouncers and judges had on their computer screens. And when it was all over, he held the trophy over his head as confetti fell.“He appreciated that this is a journey, which sounds very trite but is really quite true,” said Dev's coach, Scott Remer, a former speller and study guide author. “I think the thing that distinguishes the very best spellers from the ones that end up not really leaving their mark is actually just grit.”Dev's winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”Dev soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.“I would say I was confident on the outside but inside I was nervous, especially for my winning word — well, like, before. Not during,” he said.Runner-up Charlotte Walsh gave Dev a congratulatory hug.“I'm so happy for him,” said Charlotte, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia. “I've known Dev for many years and I know how much work he's put into this and I'm so, so glad he won.”The winner’s haul is more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. When Charlotte returned to the stage later to congratulate Dev again, he reminded her that the runner-up gets $25,000.“Twenty-five thousand! What? I didn't know that,” Charlotte said.Earlier, when the bee was down to Dev and Charlotte, Scripps brought out the buzzer used for its “spell-off” tiebreaker, and Dev was momentarily confused when he stepped to the microphone.“This is not the spell-off, right?” Dev asked. Told it was not, he spelled "bathypitotmeter" so quickly that it might as well have been.“I practiced for the spell-off every day, I guess. I knew it might happen and I prepared for everything, so I kind of went into spell-off mode,” he said. “But I also was scared for the spell-off.”Dev is the 22nd champion in the past 24 years with South Asian heritage. His father, Deval, a software engineer, immigrated to the United States from India 29 years ago to get his master's degree in electrical engineering. Dev's older brother, Neil, is a rising junior at Yale.Deval said his son showed an incredible recall with words starting at age 3, and Dev spent many years in participating in academic competitions staged by the North South Foundation, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to children in India.The bee began in 1925 and is open to students through the eighth grade. There were 229 kids onstage as it began — and each was a champion many times over, considering that 11 million participated at the school level.The finalists demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge as they worked their way through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-word-list-6b67fd86e9008d3f61cc7f256dbad480">a sometimes diabolical word list</a>&nbsp;chosen by Scripps' 21-person word panel, which includes five past champions.This year's bee proved that the competition can remain entertaining while delving more deeply into the dictionary — especially early in the finals, when Scripps peppered contestants with short but tough words like “traik” (to fall ill, used in Scotland), “carey” (a small to medium-size sea turtle) and “katuka” (a venomous snake of southeastern Asia).“There are a lot of hard words in the dictionary,” Dev said. “There are realms of the dictionary that the word panelists need to dive into and I think they did a great job of that today.”With the field down to four, Shradha Rachamreddy was eliminated on “orle,” a heraldry term that means a number of small charges arranged to form a border within the edge of a field (she went with “orel”). And “kelep” — a Central American stinging ant — ousted Surya Kapu (he said “quelep”).While sometimes Scripps’ use of trademarks and geographical names can anger spelling traditionalists who want to see kids demonstrate their mastery of roots and language patterns — and even the exceptions to those patterns — Scripps has made clear that with the exception of words designated as archaic or obsolete, any entry in Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged dictionary is fair game.Dev is happy to be closing that book for now.“My main priority is sleep. I need to sleep. There have been a lot of sleepless nights these last six months,” he said. “I need to sleep well tonight, too. There's a lot more sleep debt.”___

14-year-old wins the National Spelling Bee on the word 'psammophile'

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — President Joe Biden fell on stage at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-air-force-academy-commencement-colorado-163c5b64e7f1b0a8d07dce96303aaddb">U.S. Air Force Academy graduation</a>&nbsp;Thursday and the White House said he was “fine” after tripping over a sandbag.

Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes, and turned to jog back toward his seat when he fell. He was helped up by an Air Force officer as well as two members of his U.S. Secret Service detail.

Onlookers, including some members of the official delegation on stage, watched in concern before Biden, who at age 80 is the oldest president in U.S. history, returned to his seat to view the end of the ceremony.

“He’s fine,” tweeted White House communications director Ben LaBolt. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.” Two small black sandbags were on stage supporting the teleprompter used by Biden and other speakers.

Biden has been dogged by questions about his age and his fitness to serve, and his missteps have become fodder for political rivals as he campaigns for a second term in 2024. He has stumbled before going up the stairs and onto Air Force One and he once got&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-secret-service-jill-delaware-government-and-politics-d039291d372a38982b533d05d18d7a6f">caught up in his bike pedals</a>&nbsp;while stopping to talk to reporters near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Biden’s personal doctor said after the president’s most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-health-bdce6c15df6186e06710f2d903a3513e">physical exam</a>&nbsp;in February that Biden “remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.” Dr. Kevin O’Connor also documented the president's stiffened gait, which O'Connor said was the result of spinal arthritis, a previously broken foot and neuropathy in the Biden's feet.

Biden is far from the first national political figure to stumble in public.

President Gerald Ford fell down while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jsu_qgVuhg">walking off Air Force One</a>&nbsp;in 1975. GOP Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, the GOP presidential nominee at the time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/88b14c31c18971d5452a881cefb938e4">fell off the stage</a>&nbsp;at a campaign rally in 1996. President Barack Obama tripped walking up the stairs to a stage at a 2012 event. “I was so fired up, I missed a stair” he told the crowd.

President Donald Trump's gingerly walk down a ramp at the 2020 West Point commencement also sparked concerns about his health.

Trump, 76, was campaigning in Iowa when he heard about Biden's stumble and alluded to his own episode.

“He actually fell down? Well I hope he wasn’t hurt,” Trump said after an audience member told him about what had happened to Biden. “The whole thing is crazy. You gotta be careful about that ... 'cause you don’t want that, even if you have to tiptoe down a ramp.”

The audience laughed as Trump recounted slowly inching his way down what he said had been a slippery ramp at the U.S. Military Academy graduation.

“If he fell, it’s too bad,” the former president said. “We gotta just get this thing back on track. That’s a bad place to fall when you’re making, I think it was the Air Force Academy, right? That’s not inspiring.”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Thursday thanked U.S. Air Force Academy graduates for choosing “service over self” but said they now have the “great privilege” of leading in a world that will only get more confusing in the years to come. His appearance was punctuated by a stumble onstage after handing out diplomas to graduates.

“Graduates, you made a noble choice to lead a life of service,” Biden told more than 900 cadets in remarks on the sun-splashed field at Falcon Stadium in Colorado. “Now you also shoulder a great privilege and a mighty responsibility. Leadership, yeah leadership.”

“In the years ahead, your airmen and guardians are going to look to you for guidance and inspiration because the world is going to get more confusing," he added. “They'll put their trust in you. You, in turn, must strive to always be worthy of their confidence.”

Near the end of the ceremony, the 80-year-old president turned to walk across the stage and tripped. He was helped up by an Air Force officer as well as two members of his U.S. Secret Service detail. Onlookers, including some members of the official delegation on stage, looked over in concern before Biden returned to his seat.

As he got back on his feet, Biden pointed to the place on stage where he lost his balance. “He’s fine,” tweeted Ben LaBolt, the White House communications director. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.”

During his speech, the president talked about how the U.S. had rallied Western nations to stand behind Ukraine against Russia and efforts to enhance deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.

He also expressed confidence that Sweden will become a NATO member.

Sweden and Finland, both historically unaligned militarily, sought NATO membership after being rattled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But Turkey, a NATO member, blocked both countries from joining the military alliance before agreeing to membership for Finland while continuing to object to Sweden.

But Biden said Sweden's NATO membership “will happen. I promise you.”

The academy graduates will become second lieutenants in either the Air Force or Space Force. Biden said they made up the most diverse graduating class in the academy's history and he called on them to “root out the scourge of sexual assault and harassment in the military.”

Biden also said they will need the qualities of resilience, creativity, endurance and commitment that they learned during four years of training at the academy — learning that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic — to deal with a range of global challenges. He said the challenges ranged from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and America’s rivalry with China “to a whole hell of a lot in between.”

He also cited the threat of climate change and the growing use of artificial intelligence.

“Never forget the sacred oath you swear, and the mission you serve is something far, far greater than any person or president,” Biden said. “It’s our Constitution, it’s our country and it’s our enduring American values.”

After speaking, Biden participated in the presentation of diplomas, exchanging salutes and handshakes with each graduate as they were called to the stage and their loved ones cheered from the stands.

The ceremony was capped by an aerial salute to the graduates by the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, flying over Falcon Stadium. Biden met with some of the pilots Wednesday after he arrived at Peterson Space Force Base.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685653399077.png" alt="President Joe Biden falls on stage during the 2023 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, June 1, 2023, at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden falls on stage during the 2023 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, June 1, 2023, at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)</figcaption>
 </figure>COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — President Joe Biden fell on stage at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-air-force-academy-commencement-colorado-163c5b64e7f1b0a8d07dce96303aaddb">U.S. Air Force Academy graduation</a>&nbsp;Thursday and the White House said he was “fine” after tripping over a sandbag.Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes, and turned to jog back toward his seat when he fell. He was helped up by an Air Force officer as well as two members of his U.S. Secret Service detail.Onlookers, including some members of the official delegation on stage, watched in concern before Biden, who at age 80 is the oldest president in U.S. history, returned to his seat to view the end of the ceremony.“He’s fine,” tweeted White House communications director Ben LaBolt. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.” Two small black sandbags were on stage supporting the teleprompter used by Biden and other speakers.Biden has been dogged by questions about his age and his fitness to serve, and his missteps have become fodder for political rivals as he campaigns for a second term in 2024. He has stumbled before going up the stairs and onto Air Force One and he once got&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-secret-service-jill-delaware-government-and-politics-d039291d372a38982b533d05d18d7a6f">caught up in his bike pedals</a>&nbsp;while stopping to talk to reporters near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.Biden’s personal doctor said after the president’s most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-health-bdce6c15df6186e06710f2d903a3513e">physical exam</a>&nbsp;in February that Biden “remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.” Dr. Kevin O’Connor also documented the president's stiffened gait, which O'Connor said was the result of spinal arthritis, a previously broken foot and neuropathy in the Biden's feet.Biden is far from the first national political figure to stumble in public.President Gerald Ford fell down while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jsu_qgVuhg">walking off Air Force One</a>&nbsp;in 1975. GOP Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, the GOP presidential nominee at the time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/88b14c31c18971d5452a881cefb938e4">fell off the stage</a>&nbsp;at a campaign rally in 1996. President Barack Obama tripped walking up the stairs to a stage at a 2012 event. “I was so fired up, I missed a stair” he told the crowd.President Donald Trump's gingerly walk down a ramp at the 2020 West Point commencement also sparked concerns about his health.Trump, 76, was campaigning in Iowa when he heard about Biden's stumble and alluded to his own episode.“He actually fell down? Well I hope he wasn’t hurt,” Trump said after an audience member told him about what had happened to Biden. “The whole thing is crazy. You gotta be careful about that ... 'cause you don’t want that, even if you have to tiptoe down a ramp.”The audience laughed as Trump recounted slowly inching his way down what he said had been a slippery ramp at the U.S. Military Academy graduation.“If he fell, it’s too bad,” the former president said. “We gotta just get this thing back on track. That’s a bad place to fall when you’re making, I think it was the Air Force Academy, right? That’s not inspiring.”---------------COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Thursday thanked U.S. Air Force Academy graduates for choosing “service over self” but said they now have the “great privilege” of leading in a world that will only get more confusing in the years to come. His appearance was punctuated by a stumble onstage after handing out diplomas to graduates.“Graduates, you made a noble choice to lead a life of service,” Biden told more than 900 cadets in remarks on the sun-splashed field at Falcon Stadium in Colorado. “Now you also shoulder a great privilege and a mighty responsibility. Leadership, yeah leadership.”“In the years ahead, your airmen and guardians are going to look to you for guidance and inspiration because the world is going to get more confusing," he added. “They'll put their trust in you. You, in turn, must strive to always be worthy of their confidence.”Near the end of the ceremony, the 80-year-old president turned to walk across the stage and tripped. He was helped up by an Air Force officer as well as two members of his U.S. Secret Service detail. Onlookers, including some members of the official delegation on stage, looked over in concern before Biden returned to his seat.As he got back on his feet, Biden pointed to the place on stage where he lost his balance. “He’s fine,” tweeted Ben LaBolt, the White House communications director. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands.”During his speech, the president talked about how the U.S. had rallied Western nations to stand behind Ukraine against Russia and efforts to enhance deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.He also expressed confidence that Sweden will become a NATO member.Sweden and Finland, both historically unaligned militarily, sought NATO membership after being rattled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But Turkey, a NATO member, blocked both countries from joining the military alliance before agreeing to membership for Finland while continuing to object to Sweden.But Biden said Sweden's NATO membership “will happen. I promise you.”The academy graduates will become second lieutenants in either the Air Force or Space Force. Biden said they made up the most diverse graduating class in the academy's history and he called on them to “root out the scourge of sexual assault and harassment in the military.”Biden also said they will need the qualities of resilience, creativity, endurance and commitment that they learned during four years of training at the academy — learning that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic — to deal with a range of global challenges. He said the challenges ranged from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and America’s rivalry with China “to a whole hell of a lot in between.”He also cited the threat of climate change and the growing use of artificial intelligence.“Never forget the sacred oath you swear, and the mission you serve is something far, far greater than any person or president,” Biden said. “It’s our Constitution, it’s our country and it’s our enduring American values.”After speaking, Biden participated in the presentation of diplomas, exchanging salutes and handshakes with each graduate as they were called to the stage and their loved ones cheered from the stands.The ceremony was capped by an aerial salute to the graduates by the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, flying over Falcon Stadium. Biden met with some of the pilots Wednesday after he arrived at Peterson Space Force Base.

Biden falls on stage after speech to US Air Force Academy grads

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision.

President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00135.htm">vote</a>&nbsp;forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance on loan forgiveness that Republicans have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/16/u-s-house-gop-questions-education-secretary-on-transgender-athletes-student-loans/">lambasted as a “bailout.”</a>&nbsp; Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts voted with the majority.

The resolution, brought under the Congressional Review Act that allows Congress to reverse certain administration actions, was one of several maneuvers Republicans have used to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-pushes-through-debt-ceiling-increase-coupled-with-massive-spending-cuts/">block the one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify</a>. The resolution&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">passed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. House last week and now goes to the White House.

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision.President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00135.htm">vote</a>&nbsp;forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance on loan forgiveness that Republicans have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/16/u-s-house-gop-questions-education-secretary-on-transgender-athletes-student-loans/">lambasted as a “bailout.”</a>&nbsp; Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts voted with the majority.The resolution, brought under the Congressional Review Act that allows Congress to reverse certain administration actions, was one of several maneuvers Republicans have used to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-pushes-through-debt-ceiling-increase-coupled-with-massive-spending-cuts/">block the one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify</a>. The resolution&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">passed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. House last week and now goes to the White House.In a statement ahead of the House vote, the White House blasted the student loan measure.“This resolution is an unprecedented attempt to undercut our historic economic recovery, and would deprive more than 40 million hard-working Americans of much-needed student debt relief,” the statement read. “Americans should be able to have a little more breathing room as they recover from the economic strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”Senators up for reelection next year who voted with Republicans, include Democrats Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.<h2>Partisan split</h2>Though some Democratic senators crossed party lines Thursday, several others have criticized the resolution for not only blocking student debt relief, but requiring borrowers to pay back interest from the pause on student loan repayments first implemented by the Trump administration in 2020 due to the coronavirus and extended several times.“My Republican colleagues talk a big game about helping working families, but this legislation shows how callous and uncaring they are, by trying to block relief that would immediately improve the lives of millions of borrowers,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Wednesday.Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-joint-resolution/45?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22H.J.Res45%22%7D&amp;s=2&amp;r=1">resolution</a>, argued on the Senate floor Wednesday that the Biden administration did not have the authority to enact its debt relief program. Cassidy pointed to how Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. expressed skepticism during&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/28/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-met-with-skepticism-from-u-s-supreme-court-conservatives/">oral arguments in February</a>&nbsp;about the policy.Several members of the court’s conservative majority questioned whether the president could enact a program that would approve $400 billion in relief without congressional approval.Cassidy said the Biden administration’s plan will “transfer the burden from those who willingly took out loans for college in order to make more money when they graduated, to Americans who never attended college or already fulfilled their commitment to pay off their loans.”“It is unfair to the hundreds of millions of Americans who will bear the burden of paying off hundreds of billions of dollars of someone else’s student debt,” he said.Sen. John Thune, the Senate minority whip, called the student loan forgiveness policy a “government handout” in a Thursday floor speech.“It’s something of a slap in the face to Americans who chose more affordable college options or worked their way through school to avoid taking loans, or whose parents scrimped and saved to put them through college,” the South Dakota Republican said.<h2>Latest reversal attempt</h2>Even though the plan was announced last year, Congress can take action following a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/820/818220.pdf">March Governmental Accountability Office report</a>&nbsp;that classified the policy as a regulation under the Congressional Review Act, or CRA.The CRA is a procedural tool that can be used to overturn agency actions and needs only 51 votes to pass the Senate, unlike the usual 60 votes required to defeat a filibuster.The CRA is the latest attack from congressional Republicans on the Biden administration’s student loan policy. A provision in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/31/u-s-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-to-senate-days-before-default-deadline/">debt ceiling bill</a>&nbsp;the House passed would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/30/debt-limit-deal-hits-turbulence-in-congress-as-leaders-prep-for-vote/">codify</a>&nbsp;the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by the end of August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.The Senate is expected to clear that bill, which Biden and Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated.The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">last year</a>&nbsp;announced its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either 60 days after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, said on the Senate floor Thursday that the relief approved for 16 million student loan applicants could be “life-changing for so many borrowers.”“This relief is targeted to reach those who need it the most,” Murray, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said.In order to qualify for relief, a single adult has to make under $125,000 a year, and married couples have to make less than $250,000. The policy would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers, and those who received Pell Grants are eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.Murray said about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/">90% of relief</a>&nbsp;would go toward borrowers making $75,000 or less.The debt relief program was initially<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-rejects-gop-challenge-to-student-loan-forgiveness-program/">&nbsp;halted in October by an appeals court&nbsp;</a>following an emergency request from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Republican attorneys general in Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Kansas.